Coal feeder elevator



Feb. 27, 1951 G. BAECHLI COAL FEEDER ELEVATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1945 INVENTOR 65% lzdrtnlflovv- A; ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1951 G. BAECHLI COAL FEEDER ELEVATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1945 INVENTOR BY 37 'M W-M LL ATTORNEY-S.

WITNESSES:

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m$mM G. BAECHLI COAL' FEEDER ELEVATOR Feb. 27, 1951 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS- WITNESSES: v6;- W 1. WW.

Patented F eb. 27, 1951 COAL FEEDER ELEVATOR George Baechli, Franklin, Pa., assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Franklin, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 19, 1945, Serial No. 635,993

19 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for transferring coal and the like from a mine shuttle car to a traveling conveyor belt.

In trackless coal mines the coal often is loaded into shuttle cars that transport it to a continuously moving conveyor belt by which the coal is carried out of the mine or to a collecting point remote from the working zones. The coal must be delivered to the belt rather slowly so that it will not pile up so high on the belt as to fall ofi the sides, and this is done by controlling the rate of travel of the unloading conveyor in the shuttle car. While the car is being unloaded in this manner it must remain at the belt, during which time, of course, coal can not be loaded into it at the Working face. In case another shuttle car farther out on the belt had started to discharge onto the belt, it might be necessary to wait until that load of material has passed on the belt before starting to discharge from the waiting car.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus which transfers coal from mine shuttle cars to a conveyor belt at any desired rate, which can receive the coal from the cars as fast as they can be emptied, which has a low enough height to be usual in mostmines, which is adjustable in height for use with conveyor belts different distances from the mine floors, and which can readily be transported from one location to another.

In accordance with this invention a very low coal-receiving body or bed, only a few inches high, rests on the floor of a mine and has an inclined trough attached to its front end. An endless conveyor travels forward along the center of the bed and up the restricted passage formed by the trough. The upper end of the trough is located above a conveyor belt by which coal is carried away. Trackways for a shuttle car extend along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor so that the car can be driven up on the bed astraddle of the conveyor. As the car is backed off the bed it empties coal onto the conveyor. Due

to height limitations in the mine, means can not be provided for keeping coal from spilling over onto the trackways where it would obstruct the shuttle car wheels. Therefore, scrapers are provided which are adapted to be pushed forward by the car over the trackways in order to push coal from the trackways onto the conveyor. Preferably, these scrapers are mounted on a carriage movable along the trackways and which is formed for receiving the front wheels of the car so that as the car moves forward it will push the scrapers ahead of it. The carriage is also provided with means for holding the shuttle car wheels on it when the car is reversed so that those wheels will pull the carriage back with them to the rear end of the bed ready to receive the front wheels of the next shuttle car. The height and contour of the pile of coal moving up the inclined trough of this apparatus is controlled by means located near the entrance to the trough.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view and section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4. is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one side of the carriage; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the bed showing the carriage mounted thereon; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 1; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view of the entrance to the trough showing a modification; and Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 of a further modification.

Referring to the drawings, a coal-receiving bed is formed by flat metal plates mounted on a low framework 8 resting on the floor of a mine and adapted to be skidded from one location to another. As shown in Fig. 3, the plate 2 forming the central. area of the bed is depressed from end to end below the horizontal plates 3 or wings at both sides of it that serve as trackways for mine shuttle cars. A ramp, to permit shuttle cars to be driven onto the bed, is formed from tapered channel members 4 detachably connected to the rear end of the framework. Hinged to the front end of the bed is an inclined trough 6, the lower portions 1 of the side walls of which flare outwardly to the outer edges of the bed wings, as shown in Fig. 1. The height of the front end of the trough can be adjusted. by jacks 8 permanently connected to it and resting upon the ground. When this apparatus is being moved from one location to another, the jacks may be swung out of position so that the trough will rest upon the ground as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2.

Extending along the depressed central area of the bed and up the trough is a delivery conveyor formed from a pair of chains I I connected at longitudinally spaced intervals by cross bars I2. These chains pass around idler sprockets l3 adjustably mounted near the rear end of the bed,

and around drive sprockets l mounted on a shaft l6 journaled in the upper end of the trough, as shown in Fig. 1. This shaft is driven by a chain I! from another shaft it which extends across the trough and is driven by an electric motor l9 attached to a side wall of the trough. At the point where the trough is hinged to the bed, the conveyor is held down on the bed by shoes 2| engaging the upper surfaces of the conveyor chains. Coal that is dumped on the bed will be carried forward by the conveyor and moved up the trough from the upper end of which it will spill onto a continuously moving conveyor belt 22.

Coal is delivered to the bed by a shuttle car 23 (Fig. 2) that first is driven up the ramp and as 3 far forward over the bed as possible, and then is backed off slowly. During the backing the unloading conveyor, with which such cars are provided, is operated so as to discharge the coal as fast as possible from the front end of the car onto the central area of the bed. Some of the coal spills out over the wings in front of the car wheels. To scrape this coal off the wings so that it will not interfere with movement of the next car forward over the bed, a carriage is mounted on the bed. This carriage has a front axle 25, and a rear bar 26 the ends of which are offset below its central portion as shown in Fig. 3. The adjacent ends of the axle and bar are rigidly connected by pairs of vertical plates 21 and 28. Flanged wheels 29 are mounted on the opposite ends of the axle, and similar wheels 3| are rotatably supported by bearing blocks 32 fastened to side plates 28 and to the ends of bar 26. These four wheels roll on rails 33 that extend from the rear end of the bed forward along the outer edges of the wings. Forward movement of the wheels is limited by stops 3& attached to the rails. Low side walls 35 for the bed extend from the front ends of the rails to the side walls of the trough.

Between each pair of carriage side plates 2'? and 28 there is a bottom plate 35 the front end of which curves upwardly. These bottom plates, which do not extend to the back of the side plates, are for the purpose of supporting the front wheels of a shuttle car driven onto them from the ramp. After the car wheels are on the carriage, continued forward movement of the car causes them to push the carriage forward on the rails. As the carriage moves forward, plows or scrapers 37 attached to its front push the coal from the wings or trackways onto the conveyor. Each scraper has an inclined front wall and is pivotally connected to the carriage axle by bars 38 that encircle the axle. The bottom of the scraper is provided with a skid 39 that slides along the underlying trackway. Rigidly attached to the carriage axle are scrapers 4| that keep the rails clean in front of the carriage wheels.

When the shuttle car is reversed, the front wheels of the car engage vanes 42 on the carriage which prevent the car wheels from backing off the carriage. The front end of each of these vanes is rigidly attached to a horizontal shaft 43 journaled in the carriage side plates behind bottom plates 38. Also attached to the shaft at right angles to the vane is a block 54 in the bifurcated lower end of which a roller 46 is journaled. When the carriage is located at the rear end of the bed these rollers extend down through openings at the rear ends of the trackways, with the vanes horizontal so that forwardly moving shuttle car wheels can roll over them and onto bottom plates 36 of the carriage. As soon as the carriage starts to move forward, rollers 46 roll up inclines l'i onto the wings and thereby swing the vanes upwardly behind the front wheels of the shuttle car as indicated in broken lines in Fig. The car wheels therefore can not leave the carriage until they have returned it to the rear end of the bed where the vanes are allowed to swing down into horizontal position again. When the car wheels roll forward onto the vanes, engagement of the rollers with inclines 7 prevents the carriage from moving ahead until after the wheels have left the vanes and rest on plates 36. Therefore, the vanes and rollers serve as locks to hold the carriage stationary until the shuttle car wheels are in proper position on it. The rear end portions of rails are inclined downwardly toward the 4 ramp, thereby aiding in returning the carriage to the starting point and reducing the required height of the ramp.

In order to put a crown on the pile of coal being carried up trough 6 by the delivery conveyor, and to help control the rate of delivery to belt 22, a pair of bafile plates 50 project into the trough from its opposite sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. These plates are spaced apart to leave an opening of considerable size between them, and their lower edges, which are spaced from the floor of the trough, converge upwardly. The plates therefore taper or crown the top of the pile of coal passing beneath them, and limit the height or thickness of that pile. The thickness of the pile at either side is considerably less than its average thickness, as a result of which a bigger stream of coal can be handled for a given height of side wall. Large lumps of coal that strike these baflle plates can work inwardly until they pass between the plates and are carried away on top of the pile. Larger lumps will be held back by the plates until the main stream of coal has passed. The delivery conveyor travels very slowly so that it will not discharge coal onto the belt faster than it can be carried away. Within reasonable limits the con veyor speed can be increased or decreased. Also, the size of the opening, bounded by the battle plates and the sides and bottom of the trough, will determine the speed at which the conveyor can be operated. The smaller this opening, the faster the conveyor speed, but the opening must be large enough to allow the largest lumps of coal to pass through it. For any given conveyor speed, the rate of feed can be increased by raising the baflle plates, and decreased by lowering them.

In some cases it may be desirable to use baffle plates 5| that converge in the direction of coal flow, as shown in Fig. 7. These plates may have upwardly converging lower edges, the same as plates 5!] in Fig. 6, or their lower edges may be horizontal. Rectangular baffle plates with horizontal lower edges are shown at 52 in Fig. 8. Both of these plates may be disposed in the same verti cal plane, or they can converge in the direction of coal flow like the baffle plates in Fig. '7.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes,I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, trackways for the front wheels of a shuttle car extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, and means normally disposed at the rear end of said trackways and adapted to be pushed forward over them by said car for pushing coal therefrom onto the conveyor.

2. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endLss conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, said bed extending laterally from both sides of the conveyor and forming trackways for th front wheels of a shuttle car, a

carriag movable along said trackways and normally disposed at the rear end thereof, said carriage being formed for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways, and means at the front of the carriage for pushing coal from the trackways onto the conveyor.

3. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, trackways extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, a carriage movable along said trackways and normally disposed at the rear end thereof, said carriage being formed for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways, and plow-like means connected to the front of the carriage for pushing coal from said trackways onto the conveyor.

4. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, trackways extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, and a carriage movable along said trackways and normally disposed at the rear end thereof, said carriage being formed for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways and then returned to said rear end, and the carriage including means at its rear end for holding said wheels on it while the shuttle car moves rearwardly.

5. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, trackways extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, and a carriage movable along said trackways and normally disposed at the rear end thereof, said carriage being formed for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways and then returned to said rear end, and the carriage including means at its rear end for holding said wheels on it while the shuttle car moves rearwardly, said means automatically moving out of operative position when the carriage reaches the rear end of the trackways.

6. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a-coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, trackways extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, a carriage mounted on said trackways and normally disposed at the rear end thereof, said carriage being formed for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways, and means for locking the carriage in its rear position while said wheels are rolling onto it, said locking means being automatically released when said wheels reach a predetermined position on said carriage.

7. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the 6, front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, said bed extending laterally from both sides of the conveyor and forming trackways for th front wheels of a shuttle car, rails extending along the outside of said trackways, a carriage frame mounted on said rails for movement lengthwise of them, said frame normally being disposed at the rear end of the rails, means mounted on said frame for receiving and supporting the front wheels of a shuttle car while it pushes the frame forward, and means projecting from the front of the frame for pushing coal from said trackways onto the conveyor.

' 8. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, said bed extending laterally from both sides of the conveyor and forming trackways for the front wheels of a shuttle car, rails extending along the outside of said trackways, a carriage frame mounted on said rails for movement lengthwise of them, said frame normally being disposed at the rear end of the rails, means mounted on said frame for receiving and supporting the front wheels of a shuttle car while it pushes the frame forward, a vane pivotally mounted in back of each of said wheel-suppQrting means, means for swinging said vanes into operative position behind said wheels to hold the wheels on said supporting means while they are moving said frame rearwardly, and means projecting from the front of the frame for pushing coal from said trackways onto the conveyor.

9. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coalreceiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, said bed extending laterally from both sides of the conveyor and forming trackways for the front wheels of a shuttle car, rails extending along the outside of said trackways, a carriage frame mounted on said rails for movement lengthwise of them, said frame normally being disposed at the rear end of the rails, means mounted on said frame for receiving and supporting the front wheels of a shuttle car while it pushes the frame forward, a' vane pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis in back of each of said wheel-supporting means, an arm projecting downwardly from each vane, the rear ends of said trackways being provided with openings into which said arms project to allow the vanes to swing down so that said wheels can run over them, means engaging said arms when the carriage frame is moved forward to swing the vanes up behind said wheels, and means projecting from the front of the frame for pushing coal from said trackways onto the conveyor.

10. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coal-receiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of the bed and up the trough, trackways for the front wheelsof a shuttle car extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, means normally disposed at the rear end of said trackways and adapted to be pushed forward over them by said car for pushing coal therefrom onto the conveyor, and baffie plates projecting from opposite sides of said trough part way across the upper portion of its entrance to limit the height of" the pile of coal moving up the trough on saidconveyor.

11. Apparatus for transferring coal from a. mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coal-receiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endlessconveyor traveling forward along thecenter of the: bed and up the trough, trackways for the front wheels. of a shuttle car extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, means normally disposed at the rear end of said trackways. and. adapted to be pushed forward over them by said car for pushing coal therefrom onto the con.- veyor, and bafile plates projecting from. opposite sides of said trough part way across the upper portion of its entrance to limit the height of the pile of coal moving up the trough on said conveyor, the lower edges of said plates converging upwardly.

12. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor belt, comprising a coal-receiving bed, an inclined trough attached to the front end of the bed, an endless conveyor traveling forward along the center of. thev bed and up the trough, trackways for the front wheels of a shuttle car extending along both sides of the lower section of the conveyor, means normally disposed at the rear end of said trackways and adapted to be pushed forward over them by said car for pushing coal therefrom onto the conveyor, and bafile plates projecting from opposite sides of said trough part way across the upper portion of its entrance to limit the height of the pile of coal moving up the trough on said conveyor, said bafiie plates converging forwardly in the direction of coal flow.

13. Apparatus for transferring coal from amine shuttle car to a conveyor comprising a coal-receiving bed having along the central portion thereof a conveyor for delivering coal therefrom, means extending along the outer edges of said bed for supporting the forward portion of a shuttle car and guiding it for movement lengthwise of said bed during the discharge of coal therefrom onto said bed, and means adapted to be pushed forward over the opposite sides of said bed to push coal therefrom into the zone of operation of said conveyor.

14. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor comprising a coalreceivin bed having extending lengthwise thereof and in spaced relation to both sides thereof a conveyor for delivering coal therefrom, means extending along the sides of said bed for supporting the forward portion of a shuttle car and guiding it for movement lengthwise from said bed, and means adapted to be moved by said shuttle car for pushing coal lying on said bed outside the zone of operation of said conveyor into the zone of operation thereof.

15. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor comprising a coal-receiving bed having along the central portion thereof a conveyor for delivering coal therefrom, tracks extending along the outer edges of said bed, a carriage movable along said tracks and formed for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said tracks, and means at the front of the carriage for pushing coal into the zone of operation of said conveyor.

16. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor comprising a coal-receiving bed having along the central portion thereof a conveyor for delivering coal therefrom. tracks extending along the outer edges of said bed, a. carriage movable along said tracks and formed. for receiving the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the. carriage can be pushed forward alongv said. tracks, and plowlike means connected to the front of the carriage for pushing coal from the areas between said conveyor and said tracks into. the zone of operation of said conveyor 17. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine.

shuttle car to a conveyor; comprising. a coal-receiving bed having extending lengthwise thereof and in spaced relation to the sides thereof a conveyor for delivering coal. therefrom, trackways ex.- tending along both sides of said conveyor in spaced relation thereto, a carriage mounted. on said trackways and formed to receive the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways, and means for releasably locking the carriage in its rear position including devices adapted to be held in looking position by said wheels when the. latter are moving onto said carriage and thereafter to be freed by said wheel's when the latter pass the same.

18. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor comprising a coal-receiving bed having extending lengthwise thereof and in spaced relation to the sides thereof a conveyor for delivering coal therefrom, trackways extending along both sides of said conveyor in spaced relation thereto, a carriage mounted on said trackways and formed to receive the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways, means for releasably locking the carriage in its rear position including devices adapted to be held in locking position by said wheels when the latter are moving onto said carriage and thereafter to be freed by said wheels when the latter pass the same, and means movable by said carriage to clear said trackways of coal.

19. Apparatus for transferring coal from a mine shuttle car to a conveyor comprising a coal-receiving bed having extending lengthwise thereof and in spaced relation to the sides thereof a conveyor for delivering coal therefrom, trackways extending along both sides of said conveyor in spaced relation thereto, a carriage mounted on said traclrways and formed to receive the front wheels of a shuttle car by which the carriage can be pushed forward along said trackways, means for releasably locking the carriage in its rear position including devices adapted to be held in locking position by said wheels when the latter are moving onto said carriage and thereafter to be freed by said Wheels when the latter pass the same, and plowlike means for moving coal in the spaces between said trackways and said conveyor to the zone of action of the latter.

GEORGE BAECHLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,406,527 Bradley et al Feb. 14, 1922 1,481,152 Rehbein Jan. 15, 1924 1,545,865 Turek July 14, 1925 1,706,928 Lea Mar. 26, 1929 2,326,444 Dudley Aug. 10, 1943 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,543,518 February 27, 1951 GEORGE BAECHLI It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, line 26, for usual read usable;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of February, A. D. 1952.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oomvnissz'oner of Patents. 

